Cratemaking machine



June 13, 1950 e. E. STILWELL cam: MAKING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledDec. 13, 1947 VENTOR.

GZE/V/V 5 $774 WELL" ATTORNEY June 13, 1950 G. E. STILWELL 2,511,020

CRATE MAKING MACHINE @575 m r110 I27- 137 13a 1410 1\ 159 139 [4 GLEN/VE 5771. WELL 10 INVENTOR.

FIG. 5'

June 13, 1950v G. E. STILWELL CRATE MAKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 13, 1947 8Sheets-Sheet 4 GZE/V/Vf 5771. WELL INVENTOR Fig. 7

EGZ

June 13, 1950 G. E. STILWELL CRATE MAKING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 FiledDec. 13, 1947 4 Y 5 8O H I 1 a z mmm in 1 7 8 I 4 j a E zo'r 67. E/V/VZ. 577/. Will.

INVENTOR A TTOR/VE Y June 13, 1950 G. E. STILWELL 2,511,020

CRATE MAKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 15, 1947 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 GAE/VA/ 5smwai INVEN TOR.

ATTOF/VEV G. E. STILWELL CRATE MAKING MACHINE June 13, 1950 8Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Dec. 13, 1947 62 19W 5 ST/L WfLL IN V EN TOR.

Ill"

I l ll I :22

FIG. 2]

I ATTORNEY u 1950 G. E. STILWELL 2,511,020

' CRATE MAKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 13, 1947 s Sheets-Sheet 8 Z06 g 6'7 5ll nuflfin m: FIG. 22 39 G2 E/VA/ 5 5m WELL I N VEN TOR.

,4 TTOR/VEY Patented June 13, 1950 htihdlt CRATEMAKING MACHINE Glenn E.Stilwell, Riverside, Calif., assignor to Food Machinery andChemicalCorporation, San Jose, Calif., a corporation of Delaware ApplicationDecember 13, 1947, Serial No. 791,600

9 Claims.

This invention relates to box making machines and is articularly usefulin the making of cantaloupe crates.

Each head of a cantaloupe crate is fabricated from a pair of posts, apair of rails, and a cross panel, the posts having a triangular crosssection, to eliminate the sharp corners which the posts would otherwisepresent to the cantaloupes and which would damage the cantaloupes.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved machine formaking cantaloupe crates.

The box making machine shown in U. S. Letters Patent to H. E. Twomley,No. 1,978,613, issued October 30, 1934, is known commercially as an ACCmachine. It represents a conversion of what is commercially known as anAC machine to adapt this, by the addition thereto of certainattachments, for the making of cantaloupe crates.

While the ACC machine has given satisfaction in its service as acantaloupe crate maker, there are many owners of AC machines who wouldlike to adapt them to the making of cantaloupe rates without convertingthe machine permanently into an ACC machine and without going to theconsiderable cost involved in making such a conversion.

It is another objector the present invention therefore, to provide a setof attachments by which an AC box making machine may be convertedrelatively inexpensively into a cantaloupe crate maker.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a relatively simplesemi-automatic multiple drive crate maker.

In the making of cantaloupe crates, the nails by which the side slatsare nailed to the posts of the crate are driven along lines at theopposite ends of the crate, which lines are spaced inwardly from thelines along which the nails are driven in nailing the bottom slats tothe lower rails of the crate heads. Provision must be made, therefore,in a nailing machine for making cantaloupe crates or the like, fordriving. the nails at the opposite ends of the machine, in successivenailing operations, in the making of a crate, along lines spaceddifferent distances laterally from the center of the machine.

It is a further object of the invention to provide in a crate makingmachine, a. novel mechanism for'causing rows of nails driven inmultiples atopposite' ends of the crate to be spaced differently frOmthe center of the machine in succeseive nailing operations.

In the ACC' machine above referred to, banks of double nail chucks areprovided along opposite sides of the machine and nails selectively fedto the inner and outer divisions of said chucks in successive nailingoperations to accomplish the proper spacing of the rows of nails fromthe center of the machine.

These double chucks are relatively expensive to build and it is a yetfurther object of the present invention to accomplish with single chucksthe function for which said. double chucks are provided in the ACCmachine.

The manner of accomplishing the foregoing objects as well as furtherobjects and advantages will be made manifest in the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a preferred embodiment of theinvention with portions thereof broken away to disclose hidden elementsof the structure.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view at an enlarged scale taken on theline 22 of Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional detail view at an enlarged scale taken onthe line ;-33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view at an enlarged scale taken on theline il of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional View on the same scale as Fig. 4. andtaken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view at an enlarged scale taken on theline 66 of Fig. 2 and illustrating one of the nail chucks and punches ofthe invention.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 'l'l of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view taken. on the line99 of Fig. 2 and showing thepost and rail supporting anvil mechanism.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged vertical sectional View taken on the line ll3lcof Fi 5.

Fig. 11 is a plan view of Fig. ll) partly broken away to disclose themanner in which the clamp arms of the invention are adjusted intoparallel relation.

Fig. 12 is, a fragmentary diagrammatic elevational view of the left handbox guide taken on the line l2--i2 of Fig. 15 and With a crate headresting on said guide during the operation of nailing the first side ofthe crate.

Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 12 taken on the line lS-ltl of Fig. 24and illustrating the corresponding situation existing during the nailingof the second side onto the crate.

Fig. 14 is an enlarged detail sectional view 3 taken on the line l4l4 ofFigs. 5 and 15 and illustrates one of the slat spacers of the invenion.

Fig. 15 is a diagrammatic fragmentary front elevational view of theinvention illustrating the relative positions of the principal workingparts thereof at the commencing of the making of a crate and with twocrate heads and the slats of the first side in the positions in whichthese are placed manually in the machine.

Fig. 16 is an enlarged View of the chuck shifting mechanism as shown inFig. 15.

Fig. 17 is a view similar to Fig. 15 and illustrates the nailing of theslats of the first side onto the crate heads with the chucks restingagainst the slats and with the chuck index arm rocked into a position ofreadiness to shift the chuck banks outwardly when the chucks rise.

Fig. 18 is an enlarged view of the chuck shiftin mechanism as shown inFig. 17.

Fig. 19 is a view similar to Fig. 16 and illustrates the next step inthe nailing of the slats of the initial sides onto the crate in whichthe chucks have lifted, thus actuating the chuck index arm to shift thetwo banks of chucks outwardly, this view showing, as it rises, the naildriver head in full lines, and in broken lines as it reaches itsposition of rest.

Fig. 20 is an enlarged view of the chuck shifting mechanism as itappears in Fig. 19.

Fig. 21 is a view similar to Fig. 19 and illustrates the appearance ofthe work and parts of the machine at the commencing of the nailing ofthe bottom on the crate.

Fig. 22 is a view similar to Fig. 21 and shows the chucks and naildriver head in their lowermost positions during the nailing of thebottom onto the crate and showing the rocking of the chuck indexing arminto a position of readiness to cause the chuck banks to be shiftedinwardly upon the lifting of the chucks as this nailing operation iscompleted.

Fig. 23 is an enlarged view of the chuck shifting mechanism as thisappears in Fig. 22.

Fig. 24 is a view similar to Fig. 22 and illustrates the appearance ofthe work in the machine at the commencing of the nailing of the slats ofthe second side onto the crate.

Fig. 25 is an enlarged view of the chuck shifting mechanism as thisappears in Fig. 24.

Fig. 26 is a perspective view of one end of the cantaloupe crate for themanufacture of which the invention is particularly adapted, and showshow the lines of nails securing the bottom slats to the rails are spacedoutwardly from the lines of nails securing the side slats to the posts.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the preferred embodiment of theinvention illustrated therein comprises a box making machine 30 whichincludes a frame 31, a drive mechanism 32, a nailing mechanism 33, and awork supporting and aligning mechanism 34.

The frame includes a base 35, side standards 36, a front top cross tie31, a rear top cross tie 38, a front work table cross tie 39, and a rearwork table cross tie 40.

The standards 36 have slide ways 4!. They also have brackets 42 and 43extending rearwardly therefrom (see Figs. 2 and 5), these bracketshaving bearings 44 and 45. Standards 36 also provide bearings 46 and 47.Also provided on the base 35 is a short motor standard 48 having abearing 49 and a motor platform 50.

The drive mechanism 32 includes a motor 55 mounted on the platform 50which is connected by a chain 56 to a clutch 51 mounted on a shaft (notshown) having a pinion (not shown) which meshes with a master gear 58 ona crank shaft 59 which journals in bearings 46. When the clutch 51 isthrown in by depressing a foot pedal 68, the crank shaft 59 is rotatedfor a single revolution.

The shaft 59 has a crank 61 on the opposite end thereof from said mastergear, pitmans 62 being pivotally connected to said crank and said mastergear so as to be reciprocated by each rotation of the shaft 59.

Also mounted on the shaft 59 are chuck lifting cams 53 which are alignedwith rollers 65 on rockers 65 fixed on a shaft 65 which journals inbearings 41. Extending upwardly from rockers 65 are links 61'. Thefunctions of links 67 will be made clear hereinafter.

The nailing mechanism 33 includes a rectangular driver head 12 havingstuds 13 which extend outwardly through and slide in the slide ways 4|Pitmans 62 have spring cushion units i l at their upper ends whichpivotally connect with the studs 13. Slideable in vertical holesprovided in opposite ends of the head 12 are guide shafts 15 on theupper ends of which is mounted a nail tube support 1'6 and the lower endof which is secured to a rectangular chuck mounting frame 11.

The support It has a series of holes into which are secured the upperends of flexible nail tubes 18. A suitable nail feed mechanism (notshown) is mounted on the rear frame tie 38 so as to deliver nails toeach of the tubes 18 at the conclusion of each nailing operation. Fixedon the tie 38 is a clamp 19, the purpose of which will be made clearhereinafter.

Extending across the space inside the driver head 12 are a pair ofdriver bars 84, opposite ends of which have clamps M by which these barsare secured to the driver head 12. Provided along the bottom of each ofthe bars it are bayonet slots in which punch racks 8'! are mounted so asto be freely slideably laterally in said slots. Each punch rack 81 hasan L-shaped slot 88 into which the upper ends of three nail punches 39,shaped to fit said slot, are slid in the assembly of the machine.

Referring now to Figs. 4, 6, and '7, the rectangular chuck mountingframe Ti has slides which extend outwardly through the slide ways 4| andguide the frame '11 vertically. Supported by clamps 9! within the frameH is a. rectangular adapter 92 having front and rear bars 553. Journaledcentrally in bearing holes in said bars is a chuck shifting shaft 26having fixed thereto a hand grip 91, a ratchet 98, cams 9t, and spacingcollars Hill. Freely rotatable on this shaft, adjacent the ratchet 98,is a chuck index arm 191 having a dog H12, spring-loaded for engagementwith the ratchet 98 and pivotally connected at its opposite end to thelower end of an actuating rod i533, the upper end of which extendsthrough a hole in the clamp 19 and is adjustably secured therein bycollars I834. The ratchet 98 has teeth I E15 and the cams 99 have twolobes I96 spaced apart.

Slideable on the bars 93 are two banks Hll of chucks HI, these chucksbeing secured to bars I I2 which are separated by slots 1 l3 and betweenwhich cap screws il extend to adjustably and rigidly position the chuckson these bars. Opposite ends of the bars H2 are welded to collars H5which extend into openings H6 in clevis slide blocks H1 and arepivotally connected therewith by bolts H8. Each slide block 111 alsohas. an openingat 9: which; slideablyi embracesan adjacent bar 93.

W eldedrto -.eachv blocks! til; is; a pusher bar; .1 20, each such.barbeing.adjustably-securcdto a simi: lar: flat :bar 522: cap. iscrewspl22cpassing through slots in the latter and screwed into 5111111..

able tapped holes inv the ban .l 20;.

Welded toitheinner end. of each of .the :bar-s- H'Zl is a slide block J23: whichslideably; embraces adjacent bar s iand islheldlin.thisrelation by, a strap 12 i; =screwedirtol .this block; and:resting...

against-theouter' f ace rot-1 this bar. 93;: Pivotally Secured to themiddle. of each'chuck bank H3 byoneoi the cap screws i MH-is a .clip,i?;.6.;. -opposite ends of acoiled spring-Ml being connected. to theseclips so that the tensionofthis spring pullsthe chuck banks inwardly toho1d"-the.-,rol1- ers -l 25 snugly against the earns. 99;.

Each of the-chucks lt'i; is;designed;-.initheonria.

fer-red embodiment disclosed; to. deliver these, nails during each:nailingoperation and there-.- fore provided with .three ,gnailchanne1s.,.l iifivwith: eachof which one of the tubes it connects and;into each of which punchvim; extendsfor the. driving of a nailN-downwardly therefrom .during; each nailing operation.

Applied to the middle.- of .the. backside of the: rectangular frame. it.is a clamuiifi havingian; aperturedbase. i 3% throughawhichga .rodd itex... tends, this being. retained. in. place by.- a collar 32 and havinganotherlcollar. 53:3; for tra-ppinga coiled-spring under tensionbetweenthis cola. lar and the clamp base A36;

The work supporting I and aligning, mechanism 3 5- includes right andleft-handbox head guides i3?- and 138 each of whieh'is made of ang1e:.ir,on;- to have la downwardly .inclinedguideg lip lit-dia ed? anoutwardly inclined guide. liplflhavingslugs Milt, the purpose; of whi hy made .clear hereinafter.

Weldedto the bottom-of. each .of thei guides i 311' and lti isaofcollars Mhwhichyaresetnnto.- the upper. ends of rods i i eWhich-extend dew-n wardlythroughsleeves IQEQKXVl'liCh' extend be tweenities St and ithe justiinside-th through holes in-cross-..strapsiiidishes diately above and beneath", these. ties,, these. sleeves beingheld-rigidly in place .by nuts; screwed ontothe upper and lowerendsi-ofxsaid: sleeve.

Each rod let has. a set:collar. M8: disposedjustbeneath the collar Hi2andaa guide supporting springl illis coiled=about-the rod between-thiscollar and the upper nut Mist The upward limit of movement of the rodsleiainresponseto the springs i tt yis fixed by set collarsiliil'provided' onthe rods tid -just beneath thelower of-the nuts i ll.

Each of these guides 53] and =l38-has a rear head stop 65! which isaffixed to the guide by a bolt E52 extending througha slot in theguide50 to e dju tment;lengthwise, of the, guide.

Extendingthrough.thebearings lit and therein by set screws lblisa shaftl Extends. ingthrough bearings 135. land slideabletherein ;is; a shaft659. Fixedon an; extending ,endiot the ha t 59; y nd. theibrack h hesiaollard 6a,;

a;. shor-t; expansion spring; I 6 I being trapped betwee the-bracketstand this collar.

tending downwardly between the bracllet l'2 and blochltthwithlthe daggerface ofthe camin con-1 tact withrthislblocki Mounted-on shafts see andlltil are outside .clamp armsciridand E55,. Eachof-thesearms is fizgedbyboltsiiiii and-56?. onto-a block 138 which is boredgtolreceivetheshai-ts lda-andle (see.

Figs-ldand-ll).

Thebiocl; M53 of-the-clamparm i5 5 has a set "screw H53 which rigidlyfixesnthisblock on the.

ft, l fia and block i iii} of the clamp. arm

nally in the bearings .45.

Each of "clamp, arms. .lti l wand-5G5 is providedavith a setscrewni llwhich adjust-ably bears agaii tihebloohitii of this arm to determinethe. rotary position .of. this armabout the bolt 55% which extendsthrough. neat holesinthese clamp armsi-l The. bolts. .lli'l, however,extend through lug holesain; ,the ..clamp i arms; .1 E i. {and l 5.5..so as to allowsufijcient play :to adjust. these. clamp arms into. true.parallelism before-tightening. the bolts ltl, .to rigidly. nite thesearms .withtheir. respec tiye. blocks 5 fiC -y Each clamp arm lee-and.has a vertically yieldable, shoohnusher M2, the uppermost .po-

sitionotwhich is: determined by.,,bolts silt and.

which is..yieldably..lt.e1d. in, upward position by spring units .llt.

Weld don the inner of. .th clamp arms Reliev n aw-. Figs, 5, and;1d,.slat spacers 58! are mountedonthe fixed. shaft 558.

andextend forwardly, into machine to support .slatsplacedin the machinemanually in, propennositions fortheseslats to. be mailed to crate headsptfivioi slyplacedin the machine manually. There are two of these slatspacers, each of them havingla spacer bracket H82 including-a clam p83-, the strap E M. of which provides..a :nivotal..mountingiorgthe rearend of a spaeerarm d5.

This. armhas dogs I88 adiustably fixedthereon at intervals alongits.length these dogs forming sto os,.for ,slats S, placed thereagainstand resting nlthear s e Bracket ,582 also includes a strap member 88*!which; extends downwardly from the clamp Hi3, horizontally, andthenupwardly to terminate in a slotted upper end are through which thearm E extends so as to be guided thereby. A clevis headed bolt see ispivoted to the arm I85 andextends. downwardly. through a suitable holein-the-strap EM; A pin lei through this bolt trapsasnring .l 52. betweenthis pin and the strap Hill: to yieldahly. supportthe arm Hit in anupwardposition, which is determined by a nut H33 onlthe lower extendingend ofthe bolt ill h The work. Supporting and aligning mechanism 35;.alscyincludes. right .andile-ft anvil devices I and mtawh cn are reve sp icates io ac iasa setescrewhlld :whiohwigidly fixesrthis block on theshaft Hi9; 'lhustheclamp armltt is-.-stationaryand thetclamp arm lliliis shiftable with. the. shaft may/"hen. this. slides .longitudi-..

other. Each of these has a U-shaped bracket I9I with a pedestal I98which rests upon the ties 39 and 40 and is secured thereto by bolts I99which extend vertically through the pedestal I98, ties 39 and 40, andthe strap 200.

Each bracket I9I has lugs 201 and 202 in which is journaled a shaft 293having fixed thereto, on opposite sides of the lug 202, a collar 204 andan arm 295. Also fixed on the shaft 203 between said lugs is an anvilsupport 206 including a pair of arms 20? unnited at their upper ends bya post anvil bearing 208. Welded to the inner faces of of the arms 201are tubular sockets 299 in which T-shaped box head loading guides 2I0are adjustably fixed by set screws 2I I.

Rotatably resting in the bearing 208 is a semicylindrical post anvil 2I2having post gripping teeth 2I3 rising from a flat face 2I4 thereof. Thebearing 208 has a slot 2I5 through which a cap screw 2I6 extends toscrew into a tapped hole in the anvil 2I2. This screw also extendsthrough a washer 2II and a :coiled spring 2l8, the latter holding theanvil 2I2 seated in the bearing 208 while the slot 2I5 permits a slightdegree of rotation of this anvil in this bearing to adjust the anvil tovariations in the work.

Pivoted on the shaft 203 is the hub 225 of a rail anvil support 226, thelatter having slots 22! through which bolts 229 extend to adjustablysecure to the support 226 a rail anvil 229. Welded to the inner face ofthe support 226 is a tapped jack sleeve 230 containing a jack screw 23Lthe head of which rests against and supports the lower edge of the anvil229.

Welded to the upper ends of each of the supports 226 is a strap 232,opposite ends of which overlie the arms 20! and are apertured for screws233 to extend therethrough and screw into tapped holes in said arms.Springs 234 are coiled about said screws between the heads thereof andstrap 232 to yieldably hold the rail anvil 229 outwardly, as shown inFig. 9.

Pivotally connected at their opposite ends to the arms 295 and to aclevis 240, provided on the lower end of the rod I3I, are links 2M. Stopscrews 242 provided in brackets I9! limit the inward swinging of anvilsupports 206.

The chuck mounting frame TI is provided at its opposite ends withbifurcated lugs 243 which extend downwardly therefrom and pivotallyconnect with the upper ends of links 6! (see Fig. 1).

Operation To start making crates with the machine 30, the motor 55 isenergized thereby rotating the shell of the clutch continually so thatall that is necessary to cause a single revolution of the shaft 59 is totromp on the foot pedal 60.

The nail feeding mechanism (not shown) is also operated by the motor 55so that at the conclusion of each nailing operation, a nail is feddownwardly to each of the chuck nail channels I28 through one of thetubes I8.

One end of the specific crate which the disclosed embodiment is designedto make is shown in perspective in Fig. 26, this crate being designatedby the letter C. This crate is made up of two identical heads H, theperimeter of each of which is formed by nailing together two rails Rwhich have a rectangular cross section and two posts P which have atriangular cross section. Each head is completed by nailing a panel 250on the posts P between the rails R, this panel being of thinner materialand somewhat wider than the 8 rails R. The bottom and each side of thecrate is made of three slats S.

The side slats are nailed onto corresponding pairs of posts of the twoheads and the bottom slats are nailed onto a corresponding pair of railsof the two heads.

As above pointed out, and as clearly shown in Fig. 26, the nails driventhrough the ends of slats S in securing these to rails R. to form acrate bottom are nearer the ends of the slats than are the nails whichare driven through these slats into the side posts of the crate to formthe crate sides. This is necessary because the posts and rails overlapeach other and the entire mass of the posts is disposed inwardly fromthe inner faces of the rails. Thus to drive nails through the side slatsinto the posts, these nails must lie in a plane that lies inwardly fromthe inner surface of the rails and this plane must therefore be adifferent plane from that in which the nails are driven through thebottom slats into the bottom rails of the crate heads.

The crate heads H are prefabricated before starting to make a crate andslats and heads are stacked near the machine to make these convem'entlyaccessible to the operator. At the start of the operation, the machineappears to the operator as shown in Fig. 1 with the motor running, andthe nail feeding mechanism supplied with nails. The operator thenmanuall inserts two heads H and three slats S in the machine as shown inFig. 15 with the heads resting on lugs I4I of the guides I31 and lit!and pushed backwardly into contact with stops 555i and I89, the slatsbeing distributed on the slat spacers I8I against the dogs I96 as shownin Fig. 14.

At this time, the cams 99 are turned with their lobes I06 positioned asshown in Fig. 16, which permits the banks IQ of the chucks to be held intheir inwardmost positions by the spring :27.

It is to be noted that the shock flushers :72 extend 'above the slats Sresting on the slat spacers I 8| so that the slats S are disposedentirely between these fiushers.

The operator now steps upon the pedal 60 causing a single revolution ofthe shaft 59, giving a single vertical reciprocation to the pitmans 62and the driver head I2, to which the upper ends of these pitmansconnect. During the initial part of this rotation of the shaft 59, thecams 63 turn from beneath the rollers 54 so that these cams offer nosupport through the links 91 to the chuck mounting frame 17. The latterframe thereupon becomes supported through the shafts I5 and nuts 260provided thereon, by the head 12, and continues to be supported therebyin this manner until the chucks HI come to rest on the work as shown inFig. 17.

This occurs before the driver head 72 has completed its downwardmovement which therefore continues until this head arrives in the brokenline position in which it is shown in Fig. 17. The punches 89, beingthus extended downwardly through the chucks I I I, drive nails N fromthese chucks into the work.

As the chuck mounting frame ll thus moves downwardly, and before thechucks come to rest on the work, the downward movement of this frame istransmitted through the rod it! and links 2 to the arms 205, therebyrocking the shafts 203 and swinging the anvil supports 295 outwardlyuntil the post anvils 252 are brought snugly into supporting relationwith the upper posts of the crate heads H as shown in Fig. 17. In thismovement of the anvil supports 296, the

dagger cam as the driver head :mi'tted through the links t'l .to the chspaced relation with the driver head 752 (as shown at the conclusion ofthe single revolution of the rail anvils 22% contact he anels 25s of thehat? heads before the post anvils :Zli cheese the upper o e e y s if nth c ate heads ou wa dly against the flushers ll? on the clamp arms iand the. These fiushers have brought closer together by mcveme to theclamp arm the by the downwardly. This dagger cam accomplishes thisshifting of the clamparm lite iby wede'ine the 19 block 1.62 outwardlyto make room for the dagger cam to move downwardly this as shown inFig.,17.

It is to be noted in Figs. 17 and if; that monement of the chuck frameIll downward .tothe l5 in Fig. 15%) until the chuck mountln frame 'fiflreaches its normal uppermost position, aiiter which, the driver head i2continues upwardly into its normal upward position where er .30 shaf tAs the chuck mountingframe 37"? rises, the-stationary attachment of theupper end .of the rod its to the frame tie member to causes the/chuckindex arm .ifii to be rocked back to its initial position, as shown inFig. 2.0, but, in doing this, the dog i832 turns the ratchet and thecams se one-sixth of a revolution so that the lobes of these cams aredisposed in alignment with and in contact with the rollers 5 thus sepa-40 rating these rollers and shifting the chuck banks -i W into theirmaxirnum spacedrelation-as shown in Fig. 19, in readiness for nailing abottom-onto the create C.

The work, comprising the two heads $1 and the first side which wasnailedthereto inthe nailing operation just described, is now freed fromcompression between the clamp arms icy-the da ger cam let havingreturned to its upwardmost position shown in Fig. l and is also freedfrom pressure from the anvil devices by the rod lt i moving upwardlywith the chuck mounting frame ll so as to swing the anvil supports 2635inwardly as these are shown in Figs. 1 and 19. Thus freed, the work isreadily turned manually to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 21with the first side facing the operator and with the bottom rails of thecrate heads disposed up- Wardly for nailing the crate bottom thereto.

To accomplish this, three slats S are manually placed in the machine onthe slat spacers iiiil in the same manner as was done in preparation fornailing on the first side, abovedescribed. (Jwing to the chuck banks nowbeing shifted apart-into their maximum spaced relation, they areproperly located for nailing the three slats just placed in the machineto the bottom rails R of the crate heads.

This nailing operation is accomplished in the same manner as was thatheretofore described for nailing the first side onto the crate heads.

Fig. 22 illustrates this operation of nailing a bottom onto the crate atthe moment when the driver head 12 is in its downwardmost position. Hereit is shown that with the outward swinging 7 10 anv l su port its hailaenlstii '1 .R {M11911 9? j k I m l ra ome rostarr l 'y he r ilsoitlie ra head d sh insomn ac. t e bot om to the crate th nai anv-ilssup or-t A v while the post anvi l s h q ata ea .ou wardly mo ies M orof h s m 99 1011i amusem n with the rollers E25 and allo thsrsieissbpwsths worlsa ster m ne turn a othe 0? an th sla :ie

c o a re o utio sotha t e $521 .1 1.9. w ihare been mined 1,89 sincethtsrr ao the m k .Q the stat s wil hav t e same appearanc es mcssnted.in. a 1.

Thus. the i ssoie chsbqtt m.on h ebox -,c.aus s the .b l [0 o chu ks to.beshif ed ii to thei minimum spaced relati n and these banks emain inthis re ation cu ing the two renewin smilin operations in the first .o Yr c the ,sece .Qnd .sidaispa led ontothe crat havinsthis bot.- tcmand inthe s cond o which the first side is ma led nt t e ext succeedi aatabeine mad nthe ma bi 539- whi e but a. sin l embodim nt .of thinvention is shown and described-herein, it is to;be u derstoodthatmanvmodificat .nsmay beimade in t i withou departing from the spiritof the invention or the sweep the appended claims.

.I a ratemak nsmachine, thecomhination of: means for supporting crateelements iin ase sembled relation;v two banks of nail holdingchucksdisposed alongopposite endsof :the .work, means.afor.driving nailsfrom said chucks fornailingsides and ,a bottom ontocrate.ends in aseriesofnailing operations; and. a mechanismactivated by saidnail drivingmeans forspacing said banks of chucks a t given distance apart when-aside :is bein .nailed onto said crate, and a differentldis- :tance apartwhen a bottor n :is being nailed thereon.

2. In a crate making machine, the combination of: means for supportingin assembled relation elements used in making a crate; a nailingmechanism including two banks of nail chucks and punches, one of whichbanks is disposed over each end of the work; means for actuating saidnailing mechanism to drive rows of nails simultaneously from all of saidchucks into said work, said nails appearing in two lines along oppositeends of said work to secure a side or a bottom to a pair of crate heads;and means responsive to a given operation of said nailing mechanism tocause relative movement between said two banks to space said banks adifferent distance in the next succeeding nailing operation than theywere spaced in said given nailing operation.

3. In a crate making machine, the combination of means for holding crateheads and side and bottom elements in assembled relation therewith fornailing said elements to said heads in three successive nailingoperations in which the first side, the bottom, and the second side arenailed to said heads in the order named; a nailing mechanism includingtwo banks of chucks and punches, one of which banks is disposed alongeach end of the work; and means responsive to the nailing of said firstside to said ends to difierently space said banks apart for the nextsucceeding nailing operation in which said bottom is nailed to saidheads, and responsive to said bottom nailing operation to difierentlyspace said banks for the nailing of said second side to said heads, saidbank spacing means being unaffected by said third nailing operation tochange the spacing of said banks. g

4. In a crate making machine, the combination of: means for holdingcrate heads and side and bottom elements in assembled relation therewithfor nailing said elements to said heads in three successive nailingoperations in which the first side, the bottom, and the second side arenailed to said heads in the order named; a nailing mechanism includingtwo banks of chucks and punches, one of which banks is disposed alongeach end of the work; and means responsive to the nailing of said firstside to said ends to differently space said banks apart for the nextsucceeding nailing operation in which said bottom is nailed to saidheads, and responsive to said bottom nailing operation to differentlyspace said banks for the nailing of said second side to said heads, saidbank spacing means being unaffected by saidthird nailing operation tochange the spacing of said banks, said bank spacing means being set bysaid third nailing operation in the making of said box so as to repeatits performance as aforesaid during the next succeeding series ofnailing operations in the making of a second box.

5. In a machine for making crates, the heads of which are assembled toinclude posts and rails forming the perimeters thereof, the combinationof: external flusher means for clamping said heads and side and bottomelements in proper assembled relation for nailing these together and fordetermining the proper spacing of said heads to produce a box of a givenlength; anvil means disposed within the work and shiftable laterallyinto supporting relation with an uppermost pair of posts or rails,depending upon whether a side or a bottom is being nailed onto saidheads; a nailing mechanism for driving nails simultaneously throughopposite ends of a side or a bottom into said heads to nail an entireside or an entire bottom onto said heads in a single nailing operation;and drive means causing said flusher means to clamp the work and saidanvil means to be shifted into clamping and supporting relation withsaid uppermost post or rails, and causing said nailing means to performa nailing operation as aforesaid, all in timed relation, and thenreturning said mechanisms to their inactive positions in which said workis free to be turned into the proper position for performing the nextnailing operation thereon.

6. A combination as in claim 5 in which said nailing mechanism includestwo banks of chucks and punches, each of which is disposed along one ofthe opposite ends of the work; and means operable by said drivemechanism during a given nailing operation to cause relative movementbetween said banks of chucks to cause these banks to be spaced apart adifferent distance in a succeeding nailing operation.

7. A combination as in claim 5 in which said anvil means includes a pairof U-shaped brackets laying on their sides, supports pivoted on upwardlydisposed portions of said brackets, and post and rail anvils on upperportions of said supports; and means actuated by said drive means forrocking said supports to bring said anvils into supporting relation withsaid posts or rails.

8. A combination as in claim 5 in which said anvil means comprisehalf-round bars with semicylindrioal faces and approximately flat postgripping faces, bearings for rotatably supporting said bars toaccommodate said anti-friction faces to fiat angular faces of saidposts, shiftable bearing supports and rail anvils yieldably mounted onsaid supports, said post anvils engaging a pair of rails, when thelatter is uppermost, to hold said crate heads against said flusher meanswhen said rails are supported by said rail anvils during a nailingoperation, said rail anvils yielding, however, when in engagement withsaid box heads when a pair of posts are uppermost to permit said postanvils to come into close supporting relation with said posts.

9. In a semi-automatic crate making machine, the combination of:shiftable anvil means for alternately moving from within the work intosupporting relation with a pair of bevelled posts and with a pair ofrectangular rails of prefabricated crate heads; external flushing means;means for nailing slats onto said heads; and power means 'to actuate theaforesaid three means in timed relation to shift said anvil means intoone of said supporting relations, to nail a side or bottom on saidheads, to return said three means to neutral retracted positions, andthen to automatically stop.

g GLENN E. STILWELL.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Parker Oct. 31, 1911Number Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,511,020 June,1 3 1950GLENN ,E. STILWELL {1*It'is hereby certified that error appears in theprinted specification of the above numbered patent requiring correctionas follows:

Column 10, line 61, for the word activated read actuated; column 12,line 32, for anti-friction read post gripping; H

and that the said Letters Patent should be read as corrected above, sothat; the same may conform to the record of the case in-thePatentOfiice. f Signed and sealed this 17th day of October, A. D. 1950.

[sun] 7 THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant O'ommz'ssz'oner of Patents.

